Jeff & Kelly

We are both so excited to be parents. We come from families with strong Christian values and look forward to sharing this family support with a child. We want our child to learn that through hard work and determination all things are possible. We want them to experience new things and have fun. We want to teach them everything we can, and then let them blossom into their own individual. More than anything, we want to love them and provide for them. Preferred Gender: Either

Jeff Kelly Job Description Operational Excellence Team, Business Transformation Manager Property Management, Property Manager Education Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration Favorites Disney Movie Cars Disney Movie The Little Mermaid Family Activity Summer Vacations Family Activity 4-Wheeling Form of Exercise Bicycling Form of Exercise Step Aerobics Hobby Golf Hobby Painting, Scrapbooking & Mosaic Vacation Spot Honduras Vacation Spot Honduras Children None

When the weather is warm, we like to be outside and active. We enjoy bike riding at new parks and trails, four wheeling on the family farm, and boating. We also like traveling and experiencing new places. We share a love of music and enjoy going to concerts. Possibly our favorite thing to do, though, is to go to sporting events and cheer on our favorite team.

When we stay in, the two of us like spending time with our dogs, cooking, and watching movies. We also enjoy the friendly competition of a game of Wii tennis or guitar hero.

During her alone time, Kelly likes to explore her creative side. She enjoys painting, making mosaics, and scrapbooking. She also likes to curl up with a good book or clear her mind with a run. Jeff enjoys being outdoors; some of his favorite activities include playing golf, riding four- wheelers, and watching his niece play soccer. He also likes to try do-it yourself projects around the house. His latest projects were installing a fence in the backyard and finishing out the basement.

Adoption has personally affected our lives as Jeff's younger brother and Kelly's nephew were adopted.

Jeff's younger brother Jeremy was adopted through the foster care program at the age of 16 months. From the time Jeff's family began to consider adoption, they openly discussed their plans with the family. His parents knew Jeremy was going to be a special needs child and wanted Jeff and his sister to know this would mean Jeremy would need extra attention and in turn would affect them.

Jeff was six when Jeremy came to live with them. His mom says from the day Jeremy came home, it was like he had always been there. Jeff and Jeremy would play together and do all the things brothers do. His mother attributes most of Jeremy's development to the games and sports Jeff played with him.

Kelly's nephew James was also adopted through foster care. He came into their lives at the age of three months. It is amazing how I can still remember what I was doing and where I was when I got the call that James had been placed with my sister. It is even more amazing how it has changed my life. This is the moment I realized it does not matter how a child comes into your life, all that matters is that they did.

Both Jeremy and James know they were adopted and feel blessed to have so many people in their lives that love them so much. Since both sides of our family have witnessed first hand how amazing adoption is, we have strong support systems. Everyone is very excited for us to adopt a child and to share in our amazing journey.

With Our Dogs

We adopted Buster from our local Humane Society about two years ago. Buster is a beagle terrier mix and we fell in love with him the moment we saw him. A year later, we decided Buster needed a brother or sister; so we adopted Lucy, a beagle-pug mix, from the Humane Society.

At first we were very worried about how Buster and Lucy would play together. But, they hit it off instantly and became best friends. They love to go for long walks in the park, play together in our back yard, or just lay together for an afternoon nap. Possibly their favorite thing, though, is to be petted. They will greet you and wait for the expected welcoming pet. If they do not get what they consider enough love, they will find a way to work their way under your arm so you have no choice but to pet them.

We have been so blessed with the love and companionship we have found in Buster and Lucy. We look forward to coming home from work to see them because we know they will be equally happy to see us. We look forward to this unconditional love and enjoy their spunk and energy. It is amazing how everyday activities like watching the news are so much better with a pet sitting on your lap.

We know Buster and Lucy will offer this kind of companionship to children also. Now, when our nieces and nephews come over, it seems they are coming to see the dogs more than us! Both dogs are mild tempered and play well with kids even though kids are not always as gentle as they should be.